If it's within your budget to do so, ditch everything you own and start fresh. Makes things sooo much easier.

I moved from NY to GA once. Godspeed.





 
 

I'm just trying to convince myself to pull the trigger and start the process.



And I'm afraid I'll drag my feet to long and regret it later.



 

Relocating is super easy.  Federal Marshalls do it for folks for free all the time.

Life is full of regrets op.....even if you do a lot of things. Regrets suck but you live.

I did this back in 1996, pretty much pre-internet. Metro Detroit to Chicago. I tried for 18 months to get another job in my industry and nada. Boss at the time also refused to let me be considered for any position in another department.

It helped that I had a college friend who lived here (Chicago) and I'd been out on several visits. Came out for a weekend in late January 1996 and decided I wanted to move. Once I got back to the Detroit area, I would buy the Chicago Tribune on Sundays for about a month. Found an agency that specialized in my industry and had four interviews in one day in early March. I ended up getting the job I wanted. Moved out with a vehicle full of stuff and stayed with my friend for the first month. Found an apartment through a friend of my friend. Went back for another load of stuff and that's that.

Note: I moved on my own, no employer relocation.

ETA: Looking back, it was a very good time to get out of the Detroit area. I'm in freight forwarding and wanted to get away from so much dependence on the auto industry. In fact, when asked why I moved, I say I wanted to escape the auto industry.

Now, I'm in the expensive, commie shit hole of IL, but I've put down roots.

Move from NY to UT.



Found a job that paid for the relocation.



Since you're in the trade, come out and interview with a couple of the larger companies that would hire your trade.



I know a guy who's in HVAC and can always use another electrical or plumbing guy in his company.  He works for #2 or #3 HVAC in the state.



Feel free to IM me, we can chat to see what you want to do and maybe I might know someone who can point you in the right direction.

Line up a couple interviews and go for it.

Yes, four different countries - two with family. Most recently to NZ.  Logistically, for us the trick has been to sell (almost) everything:  House, cars, furniture, etc and buy what we needed in our new location.  Surprisingly, you can generally make, or at least not lose, money doing this if you are careful. The moves have always been easy.

Any time I get the urge to complain about the heat, I just remind myself how many times I shoveled snow last winter.

I just did it....literally. We still haven't finished unpacking the U-Haul. NH to CA.

Planning is everything, especially with kids. I moved cross-country twice by myself and three times with my wife and they were easy. Pack up and go....but with kids there's so much more to worry about. First off...they have lots of stuff. Secondly, schools are a big deal and need to be researched. And third....you'll want to stay at hotels. We used to just sleep at truck stops but not going to risk something happening to my kids to save a few bucks.

Moving gets expensive. We priced out Pods - too expensive. They wanted $7,000 for one Pod or $10,000 for two. Cars cost about $1,200 to ship. I didn't even price out moving companies - those fucking ex-cons will rob you blind. My family made that mistake before. You also have to factor in gas, tolls, food.... We ended up renting a U-Haul and towing my wife's car while she drove my truck with a trailer on the back.

It'll take longer than you think. In 1992 I drove from LA to Boston in 54 hours. I was by myself and only took short naps at truck stops. This time I drove a slow gas guzzling U-Haul with a 16 yo and 11 yo passengers who were always hungry and always seemed to need a bathroom. I was pulling my hair out! It took 5 days plus another 3 days to load up a full household worth of stuff.

You might need to replace furniture. You can't always take it all with you. My wife is out buying bunk beds right now.

Figure out where you'll live, even if temporary. You might not be able to pre-book appointments until you're there. We ran into that problem so am staying with family until we find a place. You also might need to put things in storage. It helps to research storage facilities and costs before you go. We had one already reserved before we left.

Find new doctors before you leave, and get copies of medical records to physically take with you. Our doctor put everything on USB drives for us. Not all prescriptions will be refilled out of state, such as certain ADD meds or sleeping pills. If applicable, you need to time refills as part of the move so you have time to see any new doctors before they run out.

You have guns, so prepare for any new requirements. This is where I get bitter......I had to install magblocks and bullet buttons and take the grenade launcher off my SKS. It's quite infuriating and irritating.

Factor in costs of re-registering vehicles and costs of insurance. Some states have tight restrictions on getting a license and registering a vehicle once you establish residency.

Professional licenses and certifications - you might have to play the "apprentice" game again if you need new state certifications.

Factor in changes in state taxes. One again I'm screwed. No income or sales tax in NH, but in Cali I'll be paying out the nose. I transferred within the same company and am paid well, but state taxes alone are basically a 10% pay cut.

The most important considerations are your kids. Schools and the community are number one....everything else is second. Nothing would have gotten me to leave NH if we had family there. That's why we moved.

So Cal to Winnemucca NV  we sold a house that we owed a shit load on & bought a little 10 acre ranch with the $ and we both landed great jobs, best thing we ever did

Fly out to Oregon with a position in mind.
Test, and pass, for state license.
Get job.
Wife back home sells most everything, including recently payed off car, and packs whatever's left.
Wife and mother drive toddlers and Worldly possessions to Oregon in new Explorer and Uhaul truck.
Get laid off the day after they arrive.
Rinse.
Repeat.

Not sure if you have family that can help OP, when we make the final move out to Tx my parents are going to watch our girls for 5-7 days while we drive out and get the house prepped with the basics...

Then my parents will fly out with our girls..  It should be very helpful and much less stressful for them.

I moved from MA to TX less than a year ago. I'm 31 and single, which makes it a lot easier.

I was lucky and my employer doesn't care if I work in Littleton (MA), Ausitn (TX), Lexington (KY), or Raleigh (NC). After spending a week working in the Lexington lab and then a week working in Austin, I decided Austin was the place to go. Spent the week I visited checking out three apartments, touring a shooting range, and checking out the local gunshop.

Got a recommendation for insurance via the TX Hometown forum.

Applied online for an apartment, got accepted, paid first month and deposit with an e-check.

Shipped most of my possessions in a U-BOX (U-Haul's "pod") They take 2 weeks to transport, so I spent two weeks without furniture before I left. Gave away my bed to a friend who wanted it for a guest room.

Packed my truck with my remaining goods on a Wednesday, drove to western MA that night and stayed in a Motel 6. Left 3 AM Thursday and got through CT and NY by 6 AM, then drove across PA (my first free state) before spending the night at a Motel 6 in Ohio. Friday I made it south to Arkansas. Left 2 AM on Friday morning after someone tried to beat down the door to my hotel room*. Got my car inspected Saturday afternoon after I got to Austin, spent one more night in a Motel6 in Austin (where two nasty hookers were going door-to-door)*.

Registered my vehicle 9 AM, and moved into my apartment at 10 AM. U-Haul dropped off my box around 11, and then the professional movers I arranged showed up at noon. Everything was moved in by 2 PM, at which point I stopped by the local RMV to get my TX drivers license, then hit Time Warner to pick up my cable modem (arrangements made ahead of time with them by phone), and I was online by that night.

Took my CHL class on Sunday (arrangements made ahead of time by phone). Got fingerprinted on Wednesday and then mailed my CHL packet the following Thursday.

Bought a bed from IKEA the following weekend. After two weeks on an inflatable mattress, it was nice to have a real bed for a change.

ETA: It took about 3 months of planning between my initial visit to TX and when my truck crossed the boarder into TX.



ETA2: I think my total cost, including the pod, gas, motels, etc. was about $4000. The pods were definitely far easier (and cheaper) than it would have been to do a one-way rental on a truck or trailer, the extra gas, etc..

ETA3: Books on tape rock. I found driving 10hr/day was a good number. I actually really liked the long drive; may take a week off and drive a "circuit" of the western US sometime just for fun.

ETA4: If you have family or friends in the area your headed, that would help. As it is, my closest family is 2000 miles way (except for the guy who escaped a psych ward...no one knows where he is), and my geographically closest friend is about 700 miles away.
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*I'm never staying in a Motel 6 again. I'm also never traveling by car and leaving my handgun in the back of my truck instead of bringing it inside.

Very helpful, thank you..



Thanks to everyone else that replied.



 

Get out of town... are you kidding? That sucks.

One day I packed everything I could fit into my car and drove from Nebraska to Arizona.  Did it just before turning 27.

Yep, you can always live in a suit case until the family arrives while you work too.



 

It's almost 5 years and I still haven't fully unpacked.

Joined the Army, they did most of the planning.

Best have some sort of a plan ahead of time.  Moving Wife and kids is a strain. It is best to have employment first to help defray the costs.

Do some research into schools and areas for affordability so you can make sure your kids are taken care of.

As soon as you get there do your best to help your family FIRST acclimate to the new surroundings. Don't just get there and concentrate on yourself.

I do it all the time, so its pretty easy for me. The Navy tells me to go somewhere then I pack/throw/squeeze all my shit together and beat feet. Im single so I think its fun.

Sell everything you won't need and then sell some more. The less you have to move the easier and cheaper it is.